Post by MOnarchsRule on Jul 7, 2020 11:12:49 GMT -5
Kaepernick and Nagy celebrating
KANSAS CITY, Mo.. -- At one point, the town of Perfectville had one occupant. Last year, a new resident moved in. This year?
Perfectville has a new mayor.
The Monarchs spent all season daring teams to try to match them score for score, while downplaying talk of perfect seasons, and a football dynasty, but it took just a few minutes Sunday night to prove once again that Matt Nagy's squad is operating on a completely different level.
The festivities started on a somber note, as both teams observed a moment of silence for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery. Then, as recording artist Mchael McDonald began to sing the national anthem, each member of the Monarchs locked arms including team owner Sean Calliard, who was next to Colin Kaepernick, took a knee. As the song ended, the team got up and the game was on. Kansas City won its fifth title in franchise history at Arrowhead Stadium, completing historic back-to-back perfect seasons. The Monarchs demolished the Orlando Rage 49-21 in X-Bowl XX, but this game never seemed competitive. The matchup of the XFL’s 2 #1 seeds was over by halftime. KC scored 4 touchdowns on its first 5 possessions and built a 28-7 lead by halftime.
"I don't think words like dynasty are words that I'm interested in," Nagy said. " We're interested in accomplishment and consistency and performance.
"I would say that regardless of the result that this team achieved, that they exceeded every expectation we had for them. I mean, dealing with an undefeated season, then being asked to do better than that. Yikes! .... They were able to repeat. That is hard to do. They won 36 games in a row. That is very, very hard to do! It takes special people with a special character and a special will. I’m proud of what they did – they earned it."
In the process, the Monarchs (18-0) secured a fifth championship and earned head coach Matt Nagy his second overall, putting him within range of legendary Monarchs coach Donnie Henderson’s three. Opening night next season will give Nagy a chance to get coaching win number 50, the fastest coach to be able to do so. The second title might have been the most impressive one. The Monarchs came within one touchdown lost via holding penalty from racking up 600 points on offense this season, a new record.
The Rage, having won the coin-toss, went 3-and-out to start the game, then Darius Philips lit up the Rage with a 49-yard punt return. Four plays later, Keenum hit Brice Butler on a fade route to put KC up 7-0. Orlando struck back quickly on the next series as Samaje Perine took a handoff from Brad Kaaya, broke a tackle from Willie Jefferson, stutter-stepped past Darron Lee on the Rage 34 yard line then raced 66 yards to paydirt as Orlando tied the game 7-7. KC shrugged off the momentum shift with a 4-minute, 7-play scoring drive, highlighted by Keenum finding Kelvin Benjamin with a 21-yard strike facing third and 13 from just inside midfield. KC would finish the drive with Tyreek Hill blowing past Rashaan Melvin on a sluggo route on the Orlando 16 to made it 14-7. On the first play of the second quarter, Nagy ramped up the pace of the game by going no-huddle. Hill scored again, this time beating J.C. Jackson on a slant route at the Rage 15 to put KC up 21-7. The Monarchs scored again 30 seconds before halftime on Case Keenum’s 1-yard plunge for a touchdown.
During the halftime break, Nagy reminded the team of the ’07 Patriots, who were undefeated and tore up the NFL, only to lose in the closing minute. So they came out in the second half with just the same intensity. Orlando, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by Kansas City's speed, in particular the “Flash Mob” the quartet of Hill, Butler, Derel Walker and Terry McLaurin. The Rage were unable to stop either Tyreek Hill (9 catches, 127 yards - the offensive player of the game) or quarterback Case Keenum, who threw for four touchdowns, ran for another score, and completed 22 of 26 passes for 321 yards. Orlando (15-3) built an offensive game plan to test the Monarchs' defensive line (playing without injured DE Karter Schutt) but gained just 165 yards in total on the ground and only crossed the endzone once in the first half.
A Nyheim Hines touchdown making the score 35-7 insured that the Monarchs kept the foot on the gas, although the Rage did finally mount some offense with their first sustained drive of the game on a Dion Lewis score from KC’s 4 yard line, though he nearly fumbled the ball away. Instead of attempting an expected onside kick, the Rage questionably kicked off deep. The Monarchs would make them pay once again as Montgomery, who had 77 of his 96 yards in the second half, took it in from 14. Keenum's fourth touchdown pass, a 16-rainbow to Derel Walker, made it 49-14 before a 40-yarder by Lewis that ended the day’s scoring. Trevon Wesco recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Colin Kaepernick entered the game. He threw an incomplete pass, which was negated by a Anthony Zettel offside penalty. Buck Allen ran for a first down, and then Kaepernick scrambled, with Tyson Graham just getting enough of of him to knock him out of bounds inside the Rage 10. Kaepernick would end up being tackled at the three on the final play of the game.
Keenum and Kaaya talk after the game
After the game, the Monarchs players seemed almost to take the title in stride. Knowing that this might have been Hill's last game in a Monarch jersey (rumor has it that the NFL's Chiefs have offered him a boatload of money.), the team had no comment, choosing to focus instead on the historic victory. Asked if the program could be called a dynasty now, Keenum laughed a bit and said, "Everybody's got their own opinions. You can label us what you want. I just know this team has worked hard to get to the point where we're at. I couldn't be more proud of these guys." These guys were so overwhelming that Rage D-Lineman Anthony Zettel, Rage sack leader, was held to one sack. Said Zettel, "It definitely sucks, to be honest." For the Rage, who haven’t won a X–Bowl in three trips, it was a stark reminder that they're still playing catch-up to the XFL’s elite. "We're going to learn from it," said coach Kris Richard. "And we'll be better coaches for it, too." And for Kansas City, which will return the core of its defense and several skill players next season, it was confirmation this run of greatness isn't slowing down. Nagy didn't want to talk about that, or how he would savor what his now a historic coaching resume. "I'm really, really happy with the team win we have," he said, actually smiling. "We have a lot of great players and they did a great job. I'm proud of these guys. I'm happy for them. I want to win the game for them. It's their legacy."